Device for mounting wallboard tape



April 28, 1964 J. E. KENNARD DEVICE FOR MOUNTING WALLBOARD TAPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 INVENTOR.

BY W M 0 A fro/Q; y

April 28, 1964 J. E. KENNARD DEVICE FOR MOUNTING WALLBOARD TAPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 6/0/776J //ee/20/*Q INVENTOR. 02/ 17 United States Patent 3,131,198 EWCE FOR MUUNTEQG WALLBGARD Te -FE James E. Kenn-sad, 8629 Brannon, Houston, Tex. Filed Aug. 8, 1360, er. No. 43,199 3 (Ilaims. (til. 156-461) This invention relates to new and useful, improvements in a device for mounting wallboard tape.

It is an object of this invention to provide means for mounting tape on wallboard to cover the board joints and to provide an even application of mastic to the wall and tape.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device for applying wallboard tape having a mastic container and a roll of tape, with novel means for passing the tape through the container and mastic and applying same to the wall.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts more particularly defined in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View of the device, with a section of one wfll partially broken away.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view, with a section of one wall partially broken away.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional end view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of another form of the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the form shown in FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a corner trowel attachment.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a container, formed of metal or plastic, having a closure 2 detachably mounted thereon. A lining of felt or the like, as 3, may be employed as a gasket, so that when the locking means, such as the wing nuts 4, 4, is in locking position, the closure 2 will be maintained leakproof on the container 1. A tape bracket 5 is mounted on the container and extends rearwardly from the container, and maintains a roll of tape 6 thereon. A trowel, as 7, is detachably mounted on the upper end of the container 1, being maintained in place by the bracket 8. Handles 9, 19 are mounted on the container in any suitable manner.

Guides, 11, 12., are mounted inside of the container and a pair of rollers as 13 having spreader rings 14 are mounted in the opening 17 in the forward end of the container and a pair of rollers as 15 is mounted in the rear of the container 1 adjacent the slot 16 cut in the rear wall of the container.

The closure 2 is removed from the container 1, and the paper tape from the roll 5 is threaded through the rear opening 16, through the rollers 15, 11, 12 and 13 and out through the opening 17. The container is then filled with mastic and the closure 2 locked in place thereon. The tape 6 is then pulled through the container until mastic treated tape reaches the end of the trowel 7, where the untreated tape is torn oh and discarded and the treated tape is applied to a wall and as the user moves the container over the wall surface with the edge of the trowel 7 pressed firmly against the tape, the tape will be drawn through the container and applied to the wall, the forward edge of the opening 16 removing the surplus mastic from the top surface of the tape and the size of the spacer rings 14 determining the amount of mastic permitted to pass out of the container with the tape.

The container may be employed on the walls or ceiling, with either upwardly or downwardly directed strokes, the

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rollers 13, 15 acting as guides to direct the tape through the container and the rollers 15 acting as stops to prevent leakage of the mastic from the container, as well as guides to assure easy passage into the container. When the end of a joint of wall board is reached and it is desired to terminate the application of the tape, the tape is cut by passing a cutting tool (not shown) along the edge of the trowel blade 7, while the trowel is held firmly against the tape.

In the form shown in FIGURES 4, 5, the container 18 is a simple, substantially oval shaped metal or plastic housing. A closure 19 is provided to permit access to the container. A trowel 2% is detachably secured to the container 18 as by means of the brackets 21, 21 and the roll of paper tape 23 is mounted on the container by means of the bracket 22. In this modification the tape is threaded through the container and the container then filled with mastic, and the tape applied by pressing the trowel 20 firmly against the tape and drawing the paper out of the container with the mastic adhered thereto as the container is moved over the wall surface. The forward end of the container is drawn to a point formed in the container, from which the tape emerges through a suitable slot as 25 and the slot 27 in the rear of the container, into which the paper strip is threaded is of restricted width so that the paper acts as a block to leakage of the mastic. This modification is a very inexpensive applicator and is designed to be held in one hand of the user while tape is being applied.

When it is desired to tape the corners of a room, the corner trowel is employed, as 24, which has one end downwardly turned to fit into the forward bracket 21 on the container. This trowel is formed into a right angle of forty five degrees and has the wings 26, 26 which extend beyond the edge of the tape 23 to assure adequate smoothing of the tape as it is applied, the apex of the angle contacting the tape midway the side margins of the tape.

The user of tms device may quickly and easily tape the joints of the wall board, the tape requiring no handling other than to thread it into the container and to start the tape on the wall. The mastic placed in the container is of a heavy consistency which will readily adhere to the tape but will not be inclined to leak out of the tape openings in the container.

While the foregoing are considered preferred forms of the invention, they are by way of illustration only, the broad principle of the invention being defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a tape applying device, a mastic container, a closure releasably mounted on said container, a tape bracket mounted on one end of said container to support a roll of tape mounted in said bracket, a rear opening in said container for receiving said tape and a front opening in said container through which said tape passes, a plurality of cooperating pairs of guides in said container directing the route of travel of said tape through said container and one pair of said guides being mounted adjacent the rear opening of the container and one pair of said guides mounted adjacent the front opening of said container, said front opening guides having spacer rings mounted thereon for permitting a predetermined amount of mastic to pass out of said container with said tape.

2. In a tape applying device, a rigid container for a fluid mastic, a tape holding means mounted on said container, open ngs in said container permitting tape to enter, pass through and exit from said container, sets of roller guides in said container between which said tape passes, one set of guides having spacer rings to permit a predetermined amount of how of mixture out of said container on the upper and lower surface of said tape, a detachable trowel mounted on said container and extending outwardly therefrom, said trowel having laterally extending Wings forming a forty five degree angle, the apex of the angle contacting the tape midway of its side margins as" it is applied to a Wall.

3. In a tape applying device, a substantially rectangular rigid container for a fluid mastic, means for supporting a roll or" tape mounted on and extending longitudinally from one end of said container, a tape inlet in said end of said container, 2. pair of roller guides adjacent the inner side of saidend wall between which a tape may pass, said roller guides sealing said tape inlet to retard leakage of mastic therethrough, a pair of roller guides mounted transversely in said container adjacent the top Wall thereof; another pair of roller guides mounted transversely in said container adjacent the bottom Wall thereof, and a pair of roller guides in the forward end Wall of said container, said last mentioned roller guides having spacer rings thereon to bear against the tape being dispensed and to permit a uniform deposit of mastic on the upper and lower surfaces of said tape and a trowel mounted on said forward end of said container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,366,675 Petty Jan. 2, 1945 2,502,499 Arnes Apr. 4, 1950 2,569,140 Avery Sept. 25, 1951 2,741,220 Belisle Apr. 10, 1956 2,858,953 Harrell Nov. 4, 1958 2,957,449 Carmichael Oct. 25, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 205,735 Germany Jan. 12, 1909 

1. IN A TAPE APPLYING DEVICE, A MASTIC CONTAINER, A CLOSURE RELEASABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CONTAINER, A TAPE BRACKET MOUNTED ON ONE END OF SAID CONTAINER TO SUPPORT A ROLL OF TAPE MOUNTED IN SAID BRACKET, A REAR OPENING IN SAID CONTAINER FOR RECEIVING SAID TAPE AND A FRONT OPENING IN SAID CONTAINER THROUGH WHICH SAID TAPE PASSES, A PLURALITY OF COOPERATING PAIRS OF GUIDES IN SAID CONTAINER DIRECTING THE ROUTE OF TRAVEL OF SAID TAPE THROUGH SAID CONTAINER AND ONE PAIR OF SAID GUIDES BEING MOUNTED ADJACENT THE REAR OPENING OF THE CONTAINER AND ONE PAIR OF SAID GUIDES 